Josie, a painter from Northern California, and a relative of the famous poet Garcia Lorca, started sketching as a young girl--mainly lovers and some faces that appeared in her dreams and meditations. When she worked fulltime and raised a family, Josie still found time to take drawing and water color classes. In the quiet evening after the swirl of work and children, she would draw for release.In the San Francisco Bay area, Josie met artists who encouraged her work and exposed her to new media, techniques and other artists. Martha Branner, a longtime friend and art director, introduced her to Barbara Clark from whom Josie also took lessons. Barbara would meditate before starting class and Josie would sit quietly with her. From this quiet place, Josie found herself painting more boldly and passionately.The stories of her childhood poured out of her. The rich experiences of her life and culture, and the rediscovery of her inner self, burst onto her canvas in the deceptively simple shapes and bold colors that were influenced by Matisse and Picasso.Josie’s “stories” have allowed her to release her past and move into new territory. She’s currently exploring collage. She enjoys the challenge of taking found objects and using color to transform them into a completely new expression.Many of Josie’s works are in private collections.